Aerial delivery container



Sept 21, 1943- w. l.. LINDsEY ETAL. 2,329,723

AERIAL DELIVERY CONTAINER Sept. 21, E943. w. L. LINDSEY x-:TAL'

AERIAL DELIVERY CONTAINER Filed April 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fm M M L L M Patented Sept. 211, 1943 Fort Benning, Ga.

application april 13, 1942, serial No. 438,745

i claim. (ci. civ-5) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to parachute apparatus and is more especially concerned with a container for holding weapons, ammunition or other articles for dropping by parachute from an aircraft.

An object of the invention is to provide a container which is light in weight yet strong and durable and able to withstand the severe shocks` incident to its use.

Another object is to so construct and arrange the device that it may be opened in a minimum of time after landing.

Other objects and meritorious features of design will be more fully recognized by a consideration of the following description and a refer- Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the drawings. ,Y

The container, when closed as in Fig. l, is in the form of a hollow hexagonal prism and comprises a top member Il), a bottom member I 2, al

front i4, a back It, and two side doors IB and 20.

It is also reinforced'by. a series of six battens 24 with notches 26 cut at their junctures for the upper ends of the reinforcing bars 2S and 28a.

Each reinforcing bar 28 or 28a is made up of two bars with the edges `beveled where they join, to form a shallow trough, the cross section of one of the bars being such that the ends of the bars fit into the notches 26. Four of the bars 28 are permanently secured in their notches while the other two bars 28a are secured to the inside of the doors I8 and 2I'and hold the two panels 32 of a door together, the ends of the bars u 28a swinging into their notches 25 when the doors are swung to closed position.

The front Ill and back I6 each comprise a single panel 32 fastened at their top and bottom ends to the members I0 and I2 respectively, and at their edges to the bars 28. The doors I8 and 2l) are hung on hinges 34 which join the doors to the back I6. Two hasps 36 and 38 are hinged respectively to the swinging edges of the doors I8 and 2LP, their free ends being slotted to slip over thestaple 15B which is anchored in the front I. A-spring snap III is inserted in the staple 40 over vthe hasps.

Wide sheet metal reinforcing bands 42 and ld surround the top member I9 and bottom mem- The bottom member I2 comprises a relatively thick hexagonal board which is reinforced by a series of six battens 2d secured to the board at its periphery. At each juncture of two adjoining battens, a notch 'i is cut from the outside inward, but not clear through, to provide pockets forthe lower ends of the four vertically extending reinforcing bars 28, and the two Ver tically extending reinforcing bars 2da. The bars 28 and 28a are exactly alike but are given diiferent reference characters to facilitate description. The arrangement of the battens 24 on the board 30 provide a well 3l into which a. hexagonal piece of thick felt (not shown) may be laid to provide a shock absorber for the contents when the container alights.

The top member I IJ is made up of a hexagonal board which is in most respects like the bottom board 30 except that it may be slightly thinner.

they cross the notches 26 into which the ends of the bars 28a mustvswing when the doors are closed. Vertical sheet metal strips 46 are provided at the edges of the front I4 and back I6, and at the edges of the two doors I8 and 20. A single length of strap iron 48 is brought across the bottom l2 and up 'over the front I4 and back I6 to the top IE) where it is fastened to the band d2, a loop being formed at each end for holding the D rings 50 to which the risers of a parachute are secured.

After the container lands, it may conveniently be opened when in anl upright position by undoing the spring snap di, grasping the hasps 36 and 38, and throwing back the doors I8 and 2B, whereupon the weapons or other contents may be removed. l

Having described our invention, we claim,

A quick opening aerial delivery container which comprises top and bottom members each consistingof a polygonal board with a series of battens arranged along its periphery and secured thereto, with sheet metal reinforcing-bands surrounding them, said battens having notches along the outer edges at the interfacing ends, a series of reinforcing bars each made in the form of a shallow trough, the top and bottom ends of said bars being tted into said notches, a series of panels `i?@riplierally. ceverinetbe tenian@ boteV torn meinbersjad the space between them, to

form a hollow polygonal prism, opposite front' and back panels being secured at the ends to the top and bottom members and at the sides to pairs of said reinforcing bars, said pairs being fastened in said notches and to said top and bottom mme bers, the remaining panels being secured together at their interfacing edgesV by securing l0` hasps, and a spring snap removably extending 'through said staple above said hasps.

WILLIAM L. LINDSEY. HARRY WILSON. 

